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Gules is
the principal colour of the armiger’s father's arms, Vert that of his mother,
and a lion appears on both of them. This lion holds an ankh, the ancient
Egyptian symbol of divine life. Against the Azure colour of the night sky, the
constellation of the Great Bear, in silver stars, represents the ancient Greek
legend of Callisto and Arcas, also reflected in the Little Bear of the armiger’s
Badge, and in the motto, "I arise in the Seven Stars [of the North]."
The name of
the Barony of Rachane, which is on the Rosneath Peninsula in Argyll, is derived
from the old Gaelic “Rathain”, meaning "a ferny place", thus the two ferns on
the crest. The silver wolf, along with the Great Bear, represent the imperilled,
spiritual, and mythical significance of these animal species, and of all such
creatures generally.
The rescue,
caretaking, and support of injured, abandoned, and endangered animals, both
domestic and wild, has been a lifelong commitment of the armiger and his wife.
They are members of and contributors to many humanitarian societies and
foundations, both within and without the United States, and desire to make the
Barony of Rachane a principal vehicle for such benevolence. |
